Brevard County Mourns Death Of Former Library Services Director Catherine Rood
By Space Coast Daily // October 2, 2016
32 years of dedicated service to Brevard County
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA– Former Director of Brevard County Government Library Services Catherine Rood passed away on Thursday, Sept. 29, after a lengthy illness.
Rood, formerly Catherine Schweinsberg, retired in 2012 after 32 years of dedicated service to Brevard County, 14 of those as Library Services Director.
Rood began her career with the County in March 1980 as a Children’s Specialist, and was soon promoted to Head of Technical Services and Assistant to the Library Coordinator, and by 1982 she was Head of the Reference Department at the Melbourne Public Library.
In 1983, Rood was promoted to Director of the Cocoa Public Library, followed by another promotion in 1988 to Library Operations Manager, overseeing the operations of all libraries in Brevard County.
She led the effort to create uniform policies and procedures for the Library System, and to integrate new technology, implementing the first online card catalog in 1990, and overseeing construction of four new libraries.
In 1998, Rood was promoted to Library Services Director, leading a system of 17 public libraries.
“She dramatically improved Brevard County Library Services during her tenure. Under Cathy’s leadership, Brevard County Libraries matured into a unified, full-service library system that provided service to patrons from Micco to Mims,” said Jeff Thompson, who became Brevard County Library Services Director upon Rood’s retirement in September 2012.
“She led the Library System through some tough economic times, but we not only witnessed how strong she was for the library system and the burdens she carried for us, but also in her personal life. Never one to complain, we watched Cathy fight and vanquish life-threatening illness.
Through that experience, she taught us all something about courage, steadfastness and kindness. We’re thinking of her family.”
During the Sept. 27 Board of County Commissioners meeting, County Manager Stockton Whitten asked commissioners to keep Rood in their thoughts and prayers.
“When I came here in 1994, there were some really special people who made me feel at home,” Whitten said. “There was a lady who was always nice to me from Day 1, and that was Cathy Schweinsberg.”
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